Igor Radulov was born August 23, 1982 in Nizhny Tagil, USSR. The third round, 74th overall selection of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Radulov honed his skills in the Russian leagues before making his North American debut with the OHL's Mississauga Ice Dogs in the fall of 2001.

An offensively gifted player, Radulov played only one season with the Ice Dogs before making his professional debut with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals in 2002-03. Although he spent the majority of the year in the AHL, Radulov saw action in seven games with the parent club during the regular season. In seven games with Chicago, the young prospect scored five goals.

After getting a taste of the NHL in 2002-03, Radulov saw increased ice-time in 2003-04. The young forward went on to split the season between the AHL and Chicago.